239: Chapter 239, Number Ninety-Seven!

What made his scalp tingle even more was the opponent's profound attainment in Martial Arts Skill.

"Fist Technique Stage Four Intermediate, Palm Technique Stage Four Intermediate..."

Stage Four Intermediate meant being able to condense qi and blood or true qi into a substantial Sharpness (sharp edge) four feet long.

He himself, with the help of Skill Points, had only just crossed the threshold into Stage Four Intermediate for his Spear Technique.

Yet this Long Yin had reached such a height in both fist and Palm Techniques!

"And this 'fourth-generation descendant of True King Long Tai'..."

"True King?" Qin Yan frowned, muttering to himself, "What kind of realm is that? Or is it a special title?"

In his understanding, the highest known realm of martial arts cultivation was Ninth Rank, known as a Martial Dao Venerable.

They were legendary existences, capable of moving mountains and filling seas, almost like deities.

What was this "True King"?

Not only him, but other Human Prodigies around who were checking the information also let out low gasps and whispered discussions of confusion.

"Third Grade Limit... dual Stage Four Intermediate techniques... how, how can we fight this?"

"True King? What realm is a True King? I've never heard of it!"

Just then, a clear voice, like a flowing ice spring, rang out.

"True King is the title for the Tenth Rank of Martial Arts."

Everyone looked over, only to see Liu Ruyan had approached a few steps at some point.

She maintained her usual cool and frosty demeanor.

But at this moment, her ice-blue eyes held an unprecedented solemnity.

"That is a realm above a Ninth-Grade Venerable, an existence that has truly touched the edge of world rules.

Every True King is a myth of an era, their power capable of influencing the destiny of a race, and even changing the pattern (pattern) of a world.

Their title itself is a forbidden power."

Tenth Rank! Surpassing Venerables!

This information exploded like a thunderclap in everyone's hearts.

They knew Ninth-Grade Venerables were already legends; the Tenth Rank... was practically a myth!

Liu Ruyan seemed not to notice the shock in everyone's eyes and continued in her uniquely cool tone: "Precisely because of the True King bloodline, Long Yin's talent and strength are actually far more terrifying than what these few lines on the ranking list describe."

"As everyone knows, martial artists below Fifth Rank cannot truly activate a spirit weapon.

Forcibly activating it will not only fail to unleash the spirit weapon's power but will also result in severe backlash, potentially leading to the depletion of qi and blood and death."

Everyone nodded; this was common martial arts knowledge.

"However," Liu Ruyan changed her tone, "True King Descendants are an exception because their bloodline flows with traces of their ancestors' bloodline imprints.

They can, at lower ranks, initially awaken and activate a spirit weapon, which evolved from the True King's 'Divine Weapon's qi, through bloodline resonance!"

"The might of a spirit weapon, I believe, needs no further explanation from me.

Even if Long Yin is limited by his own cultivation and can only unleash one percent, or even one-thousandth, of his spirit weapon's power...

The instantaneous burst of qi and blood amplification and special effects will absolutely far exceed the burst of hundreds of cards of ordinary qi and blood!

That will be a qualitative difference."

As Liu Ruyan's words fell, the Human Clan encampment plunged into a deathly silence.

The power of a spirit weapon...

In Qin Yan's mind, the scene of the battle in Linhai City instantly appeared.

Zhang Bei forcibly activated that Evil spirit weapon long whip, and his strength instantly surged.

And Zhang Bei paid a huge price for it.

Now, this opponent named Long Yin could activate a spirit weapon "without cost"?

Even if it was only a very small portion of its power...

"The next few won't all be True King Descendants, will they?"

A bad premonition quietly sprouted in Qin Yan's heart.

Long Yin's information was already shocking enough; if there was more than one such existence...

He held his breath and quickly moved his gaze down.

[Second Place: Yan Xin]

[Race: Mountain Giant Spirit]

[Strength: Third-Rank Peak]

[Identity: Direct bloodline descendant of True King 'Di Po']

[Martial Arts Skill: Fist Technique Stage Four Intermediate, Hammer Technique Stage Four Intermediate]

[Third Place: Feng Ling]

[Race: Storm Winged People]

[Strength: Third-Rank Peak]

[Identity: Third-generation descendant of True King 'Tian Xiao']

[Martial Arts Skill: Sword Technique Stage Four Intermediate, Claw Technique Stage Four Intermediate]

[Fourth Place: An Ling]

[Race: Elf Clan]

[Strength: Third-Rank Peak]

[Identity: Third-generation descendant of True King 'Arrow Demon']

[Martial Arts Skill: Archery Stage Four Intermediate, Sword Technique Stage Four Intermediate]

[Fifth Place: Feng Jin]

[Race: Phoenix Descendants]

[Strength: Third-Rank Peak]

[Identity: Inheritor of the bloodline legacy of True King 'Fen Tian']

[Martial Arts Skill: Saber Technique Stage Four Intermediate, Palm Technique Stage Four Intermediate]

...

With each line Qin Yan read, his heart sank a bit further.

Seven!

From the first to the seventh place, all of them were indeed the so-called "True King Descendants" or "True King Bloodline Inheritors"!

Although the latter few on the list were clearly marked as still being at Third-Rank Peak cultivation, this was already terrifying enough!

Just imagine, seven monsters possessing True King bloodlines, extraordinary talent, mastering at least two Stage Four Intermediate Martial Arts Skills, and having the trump card of activating spirit weapons!

Once any of them broke through to Third Grade Limit, coupled with those "overspecified" trump cards, wouldn't they be able to dominate the Third Rank realm?

"They're all cheating here!"

Qin Yan couldn't help but complain in his heart, feeling an invisible pressure like a mountain pressing down.

Compared to these naturally born "royal bloodlines," he, a Human Prodigy who had climbed up step by step with the help of the system and arduous cultivation, seemed somewhat "modest."

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, and cheered himself on: "Fortunately, there are only seven True King Descendants."

He noticed that these seven corresponded precisely to the seven dominant races mentioned in the intelligence that ruled the Eternal Song Star Realm: Dragon Descendants, Mountain Giant Spirit, Storm Winged People, Elf Clan, Phoenix Descendants, Icefield Bear Clan, and Lava Lizard.

Any one of these seven major races, if placed on Blue Star, would be a colossal entity capable of rivaling the Human Clan.

That their young generation leaders possessed such profound foundations, while suffocating, seemed reasonable upon closer thought.

Qin Yan continued to browse the list.

Their races also became more diverse, including other sub-dragon species, elemental life forms, orc branches, sea races, and even some rare special races.

From eighth place onwards, while no longer explicitly marked as "True King Descendants," all of them were uniformly at Third-Rank Peak cultivation.

Their Martial Arts Skill had reached at least Stage Four Intermediate; none of them were easy opponents.

Soon, Qin Yan finished reading this list, which only recorded the top one hundred names.

His gaze paused at the ninety-seventh position.

[Ninety-seventh Place: Heavenly Dust]

[Race: Elf Clan]

[Strength: Third-Rank Peak]

[Identity: First Prodigy of Xiguang Royal City, personal disciple of an Eighth-Rank Grandmaster]

[Known Martial Arts Skill: Sword Technique Stage Four Intermediate.]

"Heavenly Dust is ranked ninety-seventh..."

Qin Yan's eyes narrowed slightly.